IBE: Genomes of modern dogs and wolves paint a complicated picture of domestication

News from IBE (CSIC-UPF)

Dogs and wolves evolved from a common ancestor between 11,000 and 34,000 years ago, before humans transitioned to agricultural societies. The study, published in PLoS Genetics on January 16, 2014, also shows that dogs are more closely related to each other than any of the wolves, regardless of geographic origin. This suggests that part of the genetic overlap observed between some modern dogs and wolves is the result of interbreeding after dog domestication, not a direct line of descent from one group of wolves. The study has been coordinated by scientists of the University of Chicago, with participation of IBE scientists O. Ramírez, B. Lorente and T. Marqués Bonet.